Introduction to the DPhil: managing your graduate experience

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Introduction to the DPhil managing your
graduate experience

• Debbie McVitty
• Humanities Training Coordinator
• training_at_humanities.ox.ac.uk

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What the session covers

• What is the UK/Oxford DPhil?
• Academic practice
• Managing and planning ahead (i)
• Employability and planning ahead (ii)
• with Dr Denise Best
• You and your supervisor
• Sources of support
• Troubleshooting
• with current DPhil students

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What is the UK/Oxford DPhil?

• A research project
• a significant and substantial contribution in
  the particular field of learning within which the
  subject of the thesis falls (Exam Regs)
• three or at most four years of full-time study
• Evidence of competent autonomy
• Reflecting the changing economy
• A high-level skill-set
• Preparation for academia
• ...Sometimes

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Why does it need managing?

• Research is hard!
• Your destination may be unclear
• How you spend your time is not monitored
• You are learning the how as well as the what
• You are personally invested in the project
• Balance of activities/time-management
• the elements of the project are varied
• the rest of your professional/personal life

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Academic practice

• Attend/present at research seminars and
  conferences
• Apply for small travel grants and prizes
• Organise events or a conference
• Teach and get a professional teaching
  qualification
• Engage in some form of administration/service
• eg. college or faculty committee
• Develop skills and knowledge external to project
• eg. second language, web publishing, other
  academic interests
• Pursue personal interests and hobbies
• eg. a new sport, fine dining
• See Graduate Studies Framework for more info

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Planning ahead (i) the basics

• Write it down (on paper or electronically)
• Get a clear sense of what you hope to achieve
• and when you need to achieve it by
• Break it down into its component parts
• Estimate how long each will take
• Set intermediate deadlines
• Block out time in your diary
• Plan for setbacks
• Review and revise your plan

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SMARTE objectives

• Specific
• Measurable
• Advantageous
• Realistic
• Time limited
• Evidence based

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Example

• A bad plan
• think about research proposal
• A better plan
• find out deadlines
• review literature (2 hr/day)
• survey field (1 hr/day)
• break to seek inspiration...
• draft to supervisor by 00.00.00
• make revisions by 00.00.00

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Some dos and a dont

• DO let things be adequate sometimes
• DO know when to stop
• DONT cut corners
• DO develop systems that work for you
• DO write early and often
• DO keep an ideas journal
• DO read outside your subject area
• DO take time off
• DO enlist the help of friends and family

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You and your supervisor

• Code of practice

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You your supervisor tips

• Who is your supervisor?
• big picture thinker or micro-manager?
• Take the initiative how do you work
  effectively?
• Relationship changes over time
• Manage meetings
• send writing in good time
• have an agenda
• take notes and ask for clarification
• agree a way forward and a deadline
• send an email afterwards to confirm
• Always keep your supervisor posted

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Getting feedback from your supervisor

• Ask the right questions
• specific
• open
• Consider a cover sheet or covering email
• your assessment of the work/what you aimed to do
• where you would appreciate pointers
• You are allowed to disagree
• ask for clarification
• defend your arguments (up to a point)
• negotiate

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Formal feedback and monitoring

• Online reporting system
• available from December 08
• opportunity to review and reflect
• anything not raised in supervisory meeting
• If you are having supervisor trouble
• could it be temporary?
• seek informal advice first
• assess your own expectations
• contact your Director of Graduate Studies as a
  last resort

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Challenges you might face

• Financial troubles
• Personal or family issues (illness, visa
  troubles)
• Writers block
• Lack of motivation
• Stress/burnout
• Isolation/lack of support
• Get the support networks in place early on
• Keep your supervisor informed
• Worst case scenario option to suspend status
  (use form GSO 17)

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Other sources of support

• Friends and other graduate students
• MCR, faculty graduate organisation, OUSU VP
  (Grads) and student advisor
• Graduate Studies Assistants/grad handbook
• College advisor
• Director of Graduate Studies
• University code on Equal Opps harassment
• Student Health and Welfare
• http//www.admin.ox.ac.uk/shw/
• The Student Counselling Service
• http//www.admin.ox.ac.uk/shw/counserv.shtml

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What graduates say

• Dont expect it to be easy
• Make contact with other people working in your
  field Go to conferences and meet people
• Read DPhils in your subject area, realise how
  bad some of them are...
• Start writing straight away
• Allow yourself to read around the subject
• Take meticulous notes even when you dont think
  something is relevant it will be!
• Dont mess about in cafes
• Dont let it be the only thing you do...have
  something different for when your brain goes on
  thesis strike
• Work hard and then rest...Come back with fresh
  perspective
• Have fun!

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Troubleshooting the task

• Write something youd like to discuss further on
  a piece of paper and send it to the front
• personal/specific enquiries Ill email afterwards
  (put your name on the paper if this is you)
• more general enquiries well discuss
• Start drafting plans and objectives if you like
• Use the grad studies framework and objective
  setting form if you find it useful

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And finally...

• Thanks to Denise and our graduate students!
• Please fill in your feedback forms and leave them
  somewhere
• Email training_at_humanities.ox.ac.uk to raise any
  issues